Earthly Tents

Our bodies are not going to last. Several examples of this have been “in my face” the last six months. First, I had surgery and am surprised that my body is not bouncing back. I may always have some foot pain. It is certainly more manageable now, but still a pain. Then Bob had tightness in his chest and is diagnosed with coronary artery disease, and last week I visited with my dear Aunt who is fighting ALS. She has less than six months left in her battle. These are the verses that I read to her last week when Bob and I stopped by for a visit.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” II Corinthians 4: 16-5:1

Her “earthly tent” is being destroyed by this disease. She is wasting away in front of us. We all know that any day we could die, but sitting with someone whose days are numbered makes it tangible. Yesterday, as I was out deadheading roses, (she loves roses), I could only pray that God would give her peace and take away her pain. Looking over at my husband, who could easily have died a few weeks ago, makes me thankful for every day we have together.

Insurance Nightmare

Other people have ridiculous insurance nightmares, but I had never experienced an insurance company telling me that needed medicine prescribed by a specialist was not covered. After several calls to the doctor, numerous trips and discussions with the pharmacy and several cash buys, 5 pills at a time at $5.50 a pill, we received a four page document from our insurance company telling us how they knew better than our doctor what medicine Bob should be on to prevent further arterial blockage and therefore extend his life.

I was appalled.

The cardiologist, who specializes in heart disease and who looked at the amount of plaque in Bob’s heart prescribed a particular medicine and now the insurance company, who has not looked at Bob’s arteries, feels that a different medicine should be tried first. If it fails, then the other medicine can be tried. But we don't have a prescription for another medicine.

And, if it fails . . . how much do we risk on this? If it fails will Bob have another blockage? If it fails, will he have a heart attack? If it fails, will . . . . well, let’s not go there! We decided that our plan of attack would be to get the doctor to write a scathing letter to the insurance company and try to help them understand why this medicine is critical for Bob’s wellness.

Today, a different solution was found. The cardiologist chose a medicine that will accomplish the same objective and is on the approved list for the insurance company. Now, why didn’t he do that 14 days ago, when we first called him and told his office that we were being denied coverage? We spent over $80 in pills, because we didn’t have a prescription for an approved drug. I don’t really like this new world that we have entered.

What have I learned?

I guess I have learned to call the doctor's office everyday instead of every few days.
I know better what question to ask: Is there an equivalent drug that is covered by my insurance?

I am also thankful that we could afford to buy the drug prescribed for Bob while all this was sorted out.

Happy Birthday Bob

We are ever so thankful for living, breathing, heart beating, birthday Bob! We had a low key celebration this year. We skipped our annual frog hunt, because last year’s hunt wiped out all of the frogs for the whole summer. We have a few croakers serenading us already this spring, but they are not keeping us awake at night. If we need a reduction in population, we can have a special event mid summer.

Nose in the new book!

Good Bye Flowers

A week ago, I finished my job at the church and along with this gorgeous bouquet, I received "Congratulations" and "You'll Be Missed" balloons and a generous gift certificate for dinner out at Stonehedge Gardens. I am going to miss the Karola, Kim and Holly team. We had a great time and together really got things done! They may have to come over to my new office for arranging and color coordinating!

Friday Photos

The last Friday in May, Bob and I attended the Horizon Formal and I had the privilege of taking photos. Of the hundreds of photos that I took only a handful are without the gorgeous students and here are a few of those.

Mt Hood received eight more inches of snow last night. Is it summer yet?

The students had many pictures on this walking bridge!

a little atmosphere

Tuxedos strawberries were a favorite.

The Widow Maker

Those were not the words that I expected to hear on Monday, when the cardiologist followed the gurney holding a living, breathing Bob out of surgery. Several weeks ago, Bob began to feel a tightness in his chest. He first noticed it while jogging. When he stopped jogging the tightness went away. Then it returned when he mowed the lawn or walked briskly. It even reappeared while watching the battles scenes in latest Narnia movie. Bob never had pain, nor shortness of breath, but any time his heart rate was up, his chest got tight. A treadmill EKG, last week, indicated a blockage. That felt like a kick in the stomach for me. Bob was not as surprised. He knew something was very wrong.

An angiogram was scheduled for Monday, June 2nd and we were advised that a stent would probably be inserted if the affected artery were reachable. For seven days, Bob’s task was to stay calm and not raise his heart rate. He successfully avoided strenuous work and never created any situations that would result in tightness of his chest.

Monday morning at the hospital went quickly and Bob was out of his hour and a half procedure by 11:00am. The next shocker came when the doctor told me that his left anterior descending artery was 90-95% blocked. This artery is one of the three main arteries to the heart and is also known as the “widow maker.” The doctor also told me that he saw diffuse soft plaque throughout his arteries, which indicates coronary artery disease. Since Bob has never smoked, eats healthy, gets regular exercise, and has low blood pressure, his only known risk factor is his cholesterol or LDL number. In an effort to lower that number below 70, Bob is on strong medicines for at least a year. There may also be a hereditary factor and in a few months a blood test will give us that information.

The good news is that Bob’s heart muscle is strong and has no damage. The blockage (or stenosis) was opened up with a bare metal 4.5 x 28 mm stent and Bob is fine! He was back to work for most of today and will be running again in a few weeks.

That may have all sounded quite factual, but there is another side too. Bob and I both know that God is in control of our lives. He knows the exact number of our days and we are thankful that we will spend more together here on earth. Although there is a part of me that knows I will probably be a widow some day, I am thankful that day was not this week!